Joe Hart is set to start England’s opening World Cup qualifier against Slovakia on Sunday after Fraser Forster was forced to withdraw from Sam Allardyce’s squad after picking up a minor injury in training.
The England manager had been giving serious consideration to picking Forster in Trnava, only for the player to return to Southampton for treatment on an arm injury. With another of Allardyce’s options, Jack Butland still absent injured at Stoke City, Hart, now on loan at Torino, is expected to win his 64th cap in the opening game in Group F.
The 29-year-old, who was made available for transfer by Pep Guardiola, completed his season-long loan move to Torino on transfer deadline day and issued a statement thanking Manchester City’s fans for their recent show of support in the recent Champions League qualifying fixture against Steaua Bucharest. “It’s been a difficult few weeks but that will never cloud the amazing journey and experience your great club has given to me,” he said. “From the moment I signed in 2006 the club and its fans have given me football and life experiences I could never have imagined and I am so thankful for that.
“Football is a crazy game and, due to circumstances, I am now moving on to another chapter of my career and I am very grateful that Torino has given me this opportunity to play for their great club. But the feelings I felt during the recent Steaua Bucharest game will live with me forever. You can’t buy that and I will struggle to replicate them. So thank you for that and all the amazing memories.”
